When an ultrasound therapy is applied as an orthopedic treatment, an irradiation position of the ultrasound waves needs to be determined so that the ultrasound waves are appropriately irradiated to an affected area. As a method therefor, an X-ray photograph of the affected area is sometimes used, but since the X-ray photographs are two-dimensional information, determination of a correct irradiation position or angle to a target in a part with a thick tissue such as an upper arm region or a femoral region is difficult.
As a prior-art technology, as described in Patent Document 1, a device which determines that ultrasound waves are irradiated at a fracture part is known, but this is a device for determination using that the ultrasound waves are propagated in the long-axis direction of a bone and is different from the present invention. Also, Patent Document 2 discloses a method of irradiating ultrasound waves to a bone and of using the reflective waves thereof.
In the ultrasound therapy, in order to reliably obtain treatment efficiency, the determination of an appropriate position or angle of ultrasound irradiation is an indispensable technology in an ultrasound irradiation device for treatment.